Nightmares
by RefinedHalestorm
Summary: Ruby Rose hasn't been sleeping and it's obvious. Although she refuses to talk about it, she quickly learns that a late night conversation with someone is all you need.


**Author's Note: **Apparently, some of you actually liked Scarves, so here's another one-shot! This one is for Blake and Ruby and while there is no shipping intended, I suppose you can make this a shipping story if you want. This is more friendship fluff and I intend to release at least two more Fanfictions in the near future. I hope you enjoy and if could, leave a little review and leave your thoughts on it. Otherwise, enjoy the story!

* * *

It was only a week into the second semester and there was no reason that Ruby Rose should've been as exhausted as she looked. Surely after a few days of break and the students of Beacon Academy were granted free time, the loads of homework and mass amounts of rigorous training was definitely something that was difficult to readjust to. However, it wasn't anything out of the ordinary and there truly wasn't a reason for the heavy bags that hung beneath Ruby's grey eyes. Blake and Pyrrha noticed it first, followed by an observant Ren and curious Nora and finally an oblivious Jaune and Yang. Nobody had said anything, however, all of them had agreed to a mutual silence: they would speak to her if it continued.

And that was almost a week ago.

Tossing onto her side, Blake couldn't help but remember that fact as she continued the struggle for sleep. It was almost midnight and it was lights out for Team RWBY. At least for Weiss and Ruby who seemed sound asleep. Yang . . well, she was elsewhere. When anyone had asked her about how she spent her nights, she would explain through a simple exclamation: "I'm out being a badass, of course!" And then she would wink, leaving nothing more for the gang to go on. Although, over the weeks of knowing Ruby and Yang, Blake and Weiss had quickly learned that Yang had a taste for .. finer entertainment. She preferred night-life and frequented nightclubs. She was also a Bounty Hunter on the side, apparently.

The idea made Blake smirk sarcastically. She could almost picture her and Yang facing off. Well, that was if Blake had continued down her path of being a villain - a path of violence and fear.

_Why was it so cold in here?_

The Faunus girl couldn't help but shiver as she felt her pajama shirt crunch up in the most awkward positions. She felt goosebumps cover her arms and it was like the covers were suffocating her. To make it worse, she felt like her heart was pounding and for no reason at all.

And then there was the sudden shout from across the room, one that caused the fur on Blake's ears to stand up, "Yang, no!" Blake could hear a slight jump from Ruby's bed, the owner of the scream. _And the nightmare._

Had Blake been feeling fear?

She had been told before that it wasn't uncommon, but she had never truly experienced it before . . .

The room was deathly silent now and Blake couldn't help but wonder what the dream was about, but she had found herself hesitating to ask. She could hear a sharp intake of air from Ruby and a slight whimper as if she was going to cry. _Is this why Ruby has appeared so. . tired lately?_

Blake waited a moment. Then another. Her heartbeat became to calm down and she spoke out in a quiet whisper, "Ruby?"

"Yes, Blake?" It came more as a statement than a question and Blake noted the apologetic tone in Ruby's voice, mixed with confusion, sleepiness and drowsiness.

"Are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine," the girl mumbled quietly and with hastily concern she added: "I'm sorry I woke you up."

_There goes Ruby, being so concerned about everyone. Again._

Blake shuffled in her covers, turning to face the wall once again. "It's okay," was her slightly muffled response, yellow eyes blinking and glaring at the walls, "I couldn't sleep anyway. I have a lot on my mind." Well, that was technically the truth. For one, she was beginning to wonder as to why her leader was always falling asleep at her desk. It was disappointing, too. She was beginning to miss Jaune's failed attempts at flirting with Weiss.

"Oh, well. I'm sorry to hear that," the girl added a bit awkwardly and all Blake could picture was Ruby touching the fingers together on both of her hands as she spoke. It was a quirk that Ruby did when she was nervous.

"I have those too," Blake couldn't help but add, looking up towards the top of her head. In light of recent events, she went without her bow while in the dorm of Team RWBY. After they had discovered her faunus heritage, she was able to confide in them. She was more than happy to find acceptance from them although she didn't always have the tendency to show it. "Nightmares, you know. From. . from when I was in the White Fang."

There was a pause. A wave of silence had washed over the room and Blake had worried that she had upset the girl. She was about to apologize and tell Ruby to go back to sleep when she heard shuffling from the top bunk across from her. Blake poised her head over her shoulder and with her night vision, was able to see that Ruby was now sitting up, clutching her covers close to her chest.

My mom. She, uhm. . she died when Yang and I were real young," she paused for a moment before continuing on, "I never got to know her, but I, uhm. . saw how she died."

_Yang and Ruby are motherless?_

Sure, Blake had never really associated much with her parents and they didn't seem to support her decision with the White Fang, but she still loved them. She couldn't picture living without them . . . saying it must've been hard would be an understatement, wouldn't it be?

"I'm sorry,"Blake offered in a melancholic tone, feeling her tired head hang a bit lower than it did previously, "I had no idea you and Yang were motherless." _Ruby didn't get to choose her nightmares, you did_. For some reason, Blake felt a sudden pang of guilt.

Ruby let out a bit of a sad, tired giggle, "It's okay, it's not like we tell anyone," she was smiling slightly now, "I mean, aside from the books I've read, I always wanted to be a hero. Like in the fairy tales. That way, no other child would lose their mothers and fathers."

_Unfortunately, the real world isn't the same as a fairy tale._

It was one of the first statements Blake had uttered to Ruby, back when they first met, the night before initiation. Blake closed her eyes, "That's very selfless of you, Ruby. But you know," she shook her head, "You have to take care of yourself first."

It was clear that Ruby was taken back by this a little, "What do you mean? I've been doing fine. My grades aren't suffering and I drink milk and-"

Weiss shuffled in her sheets, letting out a slight, "mmm". Blake raised her finger to her mouth, without considering the idea that Ruby wouldn't even be able to see it. "Ruby, talk quieter," she said softly before continuing, "You're exhausted all the time, Ruby. Everybody has noticed. . is it because of nightmares?"

Silence engulfed the room once more. Ruby Rose was a talented and skilled warrior, but she lacked Blake's stubbornness. Being extremely passive, Ruby let herself collapse to Blake's words, "Yes," she said, timidly, hiding her face behind her covers, "They only started getting worse a week ago. . when classes started back up again."

_Why then?_

Blake didn't have to ponder long, because Ruby ultimately answered her question for her. "It's because of, y'know, being a leader. Weiss always said she should've been it and I guess I agree a little. I feel a little bad and like I'm not good enough, and if you all die, it's my fault since I'm the leader and I don't want to lose Yang since she's my sister and -," another shuffle from Weiss stopped Ruby from her ranting as she lowered her head closer to her covers and turning her voice to a whisper again, "So, yeah."

"Ruby," Blake let out a bit of a tired laugh, "If you have these concerns, why didn't you share it with us?"

"Because it seemed. . .," she paused, stretching her voice a little, ". . childish, I guess."

"No, Ruby. It's a lot of stress for you to take it. It wouldn't have been hard for us to tell you that we're a team and if one of us were to get hurt on the battlefield, it would be all of our faults," she paused for a moment, considering her next words wisely, "not yours. And nightmares aren't childish either. We've all been worried about you, we're your friends."

" . . even Weiss?" Ruby couldn't help but ask rather cautiously.

"Even Weiss," Blake had a bit of a tired smile now, looking up at the bottom of Yang's bed. She had her arm over her forehead, "We couldn't perform as well without our leader. But don't think of yourself as the one with responsibility. And don't consider us weak either. You don't need to protect us, well," Blake poked the bottom of Yang's mattress, "we need to protect each other. It's a work in progress, but we're all stronger than the Grimm, we just have to keep training and trying."

Blake turned her head over towards Ruby's bed once more and she could see the girl, leaning back and thinking about it. She had a softer look on her face, "You're right, Blake. Thank you. I'll think about that."

Blake smiled now, a little wider than before, "You're welcome." She turned and looked at the clock, it was already a half an hour past twelve, "We should probably continue this conversation in the morning. . ," she mumbled, realizing that she felt much more willing to sleep than previously. "Are you feeling alright, Ruby?"

"Yep!" She realized how loud she said and covered her mouth, before turning it back into a whisper, "Yep. I'm actually feeling a little tired again," she wasn't sure how, but Blake knew that Ruby wasn't lying. "I'd like to talk to you tomorrow, and maybe about some lighter topics, too? I recently read a new book you might be interested in. . ."

Blake turned back to the wall, laying on her side. "Of course, Ruby. Good night."

"Good night, Blake."

Blake fell asleep with a soft smile plastered on her face.

* * *

When Yang entered the room at a quarter to two, she was more than happy to find that her baby sister was finally fast asleep. Previously, she had walked in and heard her squirming in the covers, though she chose not to say anything about it. She had similiar night terrors sometimes, but they didn't bother her as much anymore. Often she heard Ruby and Blake thrash around in their sleep and she found golden locks falling into her smile that night to see them both asleep, soundly.

When she climbed into her bed that night, she couldn't help but think that Blake and her baby sister were too good for the real world.


End file.
